Great news- we just learned that the Park School is included once again in Hollywood Reporter'sTop Film 25 Schools. We're so proud - of course - but it's even more interesting because we are not just a "film school". In fact, the Radio Television Digital News Association voted us as a top 20 journalism school. Variety magazine has named five of our seniors to its 110 Students to Watch list. The Princeton Review named WICB the number 1 campus radio station. The national Alliance for Community Media gave ICTV's Newswatch 16 and the ICTV website awards for excellence - competing against hundreds of other student and professional media outlets. The Ithacan regularly is awarded the Golden Crown - the highest award - by the Columbia Scholastic Press Association and in 2015 we earned it for the best...

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Great news- we just learned that the Park School is included once again in Hollywood Reporter'sTop Film 25 Schools. We're so proud - of course - but it's even more interesting because we are not just a "film school". In fact, the Radio Television Digital News Association voted us as a top 20 journalism school. Variety magazine has named five of our seniors to its 110 Students to Watch list. The Princeton Review named WICB the number 1 campus radio station. The national Alliance for Community Media gave ICTV's Newswatch 16 and the ICTV website awards for excellence - competing against hundreds of other student and professional media outlets. The Ithacan regularly is awarded the Golden Crown - the highest award - by the Columbia Scholastic Press Association and in 2015 we earned it for the best...

Here's an interesting and different poster, available for purchase on the Rand Paul for President Website for the clever price of $20.16.

Paul is running for the 2016 Republican Party nomination in the United States.

From his Website: "We need a president who can see clearly, so why not start with one that knows vision and sight better than any other candidate. Dr. Rand Paul is an ophthalmologist (eye doctor), serving in the US Senate. Professionally, he has corrected the vision of thousands and now will do the same thing in the White House.. and we're not talking about a new prescription for President Obama."

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Here's an interesting and different poster, available for purchase on the Rand Paul for President Website for the clever price of $20.16.

Paul is running for the 2016 Republican Party nomination in the United States.

From his Website: "We need a president who can see clearly, so why not start with one that knows vision and sight better than any other candidate. Dr. Rand Paul is an ophthalmologist (eye doctor), serving in the US Senate. Professionally, he has corrected the vision of thousands and now will do the same thing in the White House.. and we're not talking about a new prescription for President Obama."

The differences between a class and a film festival became apparent within the first days of FLEFF.

The first event I attended took place in a classroom but it became clear that the experience differed from a class. The FLEFF film Positive and Pregnant focuses on pregnant woman in Trinidad and Tobago with HIV. After the screening a student from the region discussed the issues depicted in the film. The chance to talk about the film with someone with first-hand experiences made it a different environment for discussion.

At the screening for The Last Colony, which focused on the issue of Puerto Rican statehood, people from Puerto Rico showed up to the screening and participated in the discussion after the film. The plebiscite that the documentary depicted happened in 2012 so the students from Puerto Rico remembered it clearly.

The film festival physically takes place in Ithaca, but the event works as a global experience.

The differences between a class and a film festival became apparent within the first days of FLEFF.

The first event I attended took place in a classroom but it became clear that the experience differed from a class. The FLEFF film Positive and Pregnant focuses on pregnant woman in Trinidad and Tobago with HIV. After the screening a student from the region discussed the issues depicted in the film. The chance to talk about the film with someone with first-hand experiences made it a different environment for discussion.

At the screening for The Last Colony, which focused on the issue of Puerto Rican statehood, people from Puerto Rico showed up to the screening and participated in the discussion after the film. The plebiscite that the documentary depicted happened in 2012 so the students from Puerto Rico remembered it clearly.

The film festival physically takes place in Ithaca, but the event works as a global experience.

Experimental filmmaker Vincent Grenier stated that his work looks at "the unexpected linkages between form and meaning." The unexpected occurs often in Grenier's work. He diverges from the forms most films I see follow.

1.) The presence of depth establishes itself as a given in films shown in both multiplexes and art theaters. Grenier plays with the concept of depth in the cinematic image. In Watercolor Grenier removes depth from an image of a pond's reflections. A woman sitting next to me described the images as "moving still-lifes."

2.) Grenier explained that shifts occur in the level of abstraction. In Watercolor the abstraction escalates before reiterating the earlier image of the water's reflections.

3.) In Grenier's films the image changes in a deliberate, subtle manner that tends to fly under the brain's radar. One only...

Experimental filmmaker Vincent Grenier stated that his work looks at "the unexpected linkages between form and meaning." The unexpected occurs often in Grenier's work. He diverges from the forms most films I see follow.

1.) The presence of depth establishes itself as a given in films shown in both multiplexes and art theaters. Grenier plays with the concept of depth in the cinematic image. In Watercolor Grenier removes depth from an image of a pond's reflections. A woman sitting next to me described the images as "moving still-lifes."

2.) Grenier explained that shifts occur in the level of abstraction. In Watercolor the abstraction escalates before reiterating the earlier image of the water's reflections.

3.) In Grenier's films the image changes in a deliberate, subtle manner that tends to fly under the brain's radar. One only...

"I regard pretty much every issue to be a feminist issue in one way or another, because most if not all issues humans face today are connected,"* says Kimberly Nicolas who attended this year's 18th FLEFF as an intern.

The FLEFF statement on Habitats said that the term covers the "relationships, and complexities surrounding the human and the nonhuman."*

Kimberly observed that the Festival's theme worked as an entrance point.

"I think the theme of "habitats" really [lent] itself to opening up space for discussions about social context and systems of power."*

None of the events Kimberly recalls explicitly mentioned viewing something through a feminist perspective. But Kimberly perceived that the "practices of feminist theory were definitely utilized."* Specifically she referred to the identification of larger social dynamics and belief structures, which emerge as...

"I regard pretty much every issue to be a feminist issue in one way or another, because most if not all issues humans face today are connected,"* says Kimberly Nicolas who attended this year's 18th FLEFF as an intern.

The FLEFF statement on Habitats said that the term covers the "relationships, and complexities surrounding the human and the nonhuman."*

Kimberly observed that the Festival's theme worked as an entrance point.

"I think the theme of "habitats" really [lent] itself to opening up space for discussions about social context and systems of power."*

None of the events Kimberly recalls explicitly mentioned viewing something through a feminist perspective. But Kimberly perceived that the "practices of feminist theory were definitely utilized."* Specifically she referred to the identification of larger social dynamics and belief structures, which emerge as...

]]>Sam StahnkeFri, 01 May 2015 22:41:01 GMT5 Reasons to Be a Bloggerhttp://www.ithaca.edu/fleff10/blogs/fleff_intern_voices/5_reasons_to_be_a_blogger/http://www.ithaca.edu/fleff10/blogs/fleff_intern_voices/5_reasons_to_be_a_blogger/

Bloggers plunge into FLEFF and everything it has to offer. We start in January, and continue to learn about its inner workings and experiences up until the festival. Being a Blogger means diving into the festival head-first and submersing yourself in its lessons, applications, and its entertainment!

Interested? Here are 5 more reasons to become a FLEFF Blogger next year…

1. You Learn About Festivals

From day one of the Blogging course, you are engaging the concepts of film festivals as...

Bloggers plunge into FLEFF and everything it has to offer. We start in January, and continue to learn about its inner workings and experiences up until the festival. Being a Blogger means diving into the festival head-first and submersing yourself in its lessons, applications, and its entertainment!

Interested? Here are 5 more reasons to become a FLEFF Blogger next year…

1. You Learn About Festivals

From day one of the Blogging course, you are engaging the concepts of film festivals as...

]]>Hannah BascianoFri, 01 May 2015 21:47:21 GMTMore Than A Classhttp://www.ithaca.edu/fleff10/blogs/fleff_intern_voices/more_than_a_class/http://www.ithaca.edu/fleff10/blogs/fleff_intern_voices/more_than_a_class/

As the 18th annual Finger Lakes Environmental Film Festival came and went last week, I celebrated my third festival and, most importantly, my third year as a blogger for the festival.

My experience with FLEFF started in January 2013. As a second semester freshman, I was excited, overjoyed, and very, very nervous to be blogging for my first time. Moreover, as the youngest member of the blogging team, my first experience with the festival was definitely intimidating. But my participation in the Finger Lakes Environmental Film Festival has been such a crucial component in, not only, my experience at Ithaca College, but to the very...

As the 18th annual Finger Lakes Environmental Film Festival came and went last week, I celebrated my third festival and, most importantly, my third year as a blogger for the festival.

My experience with FLEFF started in January 2013. As a second semester freshman, I was excited, overjoyed, and very, very nervous to be blogging for my first time. Moreover, as the youngest member of the blogging team, my first experience with the festival was definitely intimidating. But my participation in the Finger Lakes Environmental Film Festival has been such a crucial component in, not only, my experience at Ithaca College, but to the very...

At the beginning of FLEFF 2015, I felt out of my element. In the cinema world, I’m used to reaping the benefits of filmmaking. But these past few months, I participated in actually helping a film festival run smoothly. I created a public space for discussion about the diverse FLEFF events with these blogs.

If HABITATS wasn’t this year’s FLEFF theme, I might never have joined the blogging team. When I read the word ‘habitats,’ the science side of my brain sparked. When I read about the blogging team, the writing side of my brain flared.

I value the inter-disciplinary connections FLEFF creates and cultivates for any audience.

I attended my first silent film live music event. From Patrick Grossi, I learned about urban housing problems in Philadelphia. I participated in...

At the beginning of FLEFF 2015, I felt out of my element. In the cinema world, I’m used to reaping the benefits of filmmaking. But these past few months, I participated in actually helping a film festival run smoothly. I created a public space for discussion about the diverse FLEFF events with these blogs.

If HABITATS wasn’t this year’s FLEFF theme, I might never have joined the blogging team. When I read the word ‘habitats,’ the science side of my brain sparked. When I read about the blogging team, the writing side of my brain flared.

I value the inter-disciplinary connections FLEFF creates and cultivates for any audience.

I attended my first silent film live music event. From Patrick Grossi, I learned about urban housing problems in Philadelphia. I participated in...

Looking back at the weeklong Finger Lakes Environmental Film Festival the analogy that comes to mind is that of a puzzle. The festival attendee often faces a choice between two compelling events that occupy the same time slot.

For example, on the first day of FLEFF (April 6th) the Vincent Grenier Retrospective overlapped with Urban Habitats and Funeral for Homes. The Grenier Retrospective offered a look at several well-regarded experimental films that examined light, depth, and color. The Urban Habitats workshop featured Patrick Grossi (FLEFF's opening speaker) discussing his Funeral for a Home project in an intimate, discussion based setting.

Looking back at the weeklong Finger Lakes Environmental Film Festival the analogy that comes to mind is that of a puzzle. The festival attendee often faces a choice between two compelling events that occupy the same time slot.

For example, on the first day of FLEFF (April 6th) the Vincent Grenier Retrospective overlapped with Urban Habitats and Funeral for Homes. The Grenier Retrospective offered a look at several well-regarded experimental films that examined light, depth, and color. The Urban Habitats workshop featured Patrick Grossi (FLEFF's opening speaker) discussing his Funeral for a Home project in an intimate, discussion based setting.

The posters are being taken down, film screenings are back on schedule at Cinemapolis, and the planning for next year’s festival has already begun.

No amount of reading could have prepared me for FLEFF week. The image I created in my mind doesn’t begin to compare to the physical experience of participating. Waking up Monday April 6th, I felt the jittery nerves slowly begin to set in. Questions streamed through my mind-How do I? What do I? When do I? What if? But then I attended my first screening: a Vincent Grenierretrospective. Surrounded by peers and professors engaged in a dialogue of film and art...

The posters are being taken down, film screenings are back on schedule at Cinemapolis, and the planning for next year’s festival has already begun.

No amount of reading could have prepared me for FLEFF week. The image I created in my mind doesn’t begin to compare to the physical experience of participating. Waking up Monday April 6th, I felt the jittery nerves slowly begin to set in. Questions streamed through my mind-How do I? What do I? When do I? What if? But then I attended my first screening: a Vincent Grenierretrospective. Surrounded by peers and professors engaged in a dialogue of film and art...

Hillary Clinton's campaign just unveiled its new logo. Like George W. Bush in 2004 (at least in one poster), the candidate is identified with one letter in the design. Like most U.S. election logos, it is red, white, and blue. Like President Obama's 2012 logo, it says her campaign's goal for America is to "move forward" (albeit with an arrow, as well as a word).

And, like the Obama campaigns in 2008 and 2012, her Web site and social media pages incorporate the logo in an attempt to rebrand her as a candidate with a fresh message, directed at all Americans, while her rollout video targets the middle class, particularly women.

Her new logo is much simpler and more "modern" than her 2008 design. To read my...

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Hillary Clinton's campaign just unveiled its new logo. Like George W. Bush in 2004 (at least in one poster), the candidate is identified with one letter in the design. Like most U.S. election logos, it is red, white, and blue. Like President Obama's 2012 logo, it says her campaign's goal for America is to "move forward" (albeit with an arrow, as well as a word).

And, like the Obama campaigns in 2008 and 2012, her Web site and social media pages incorporate the logo in an attempt to rebrand her as a candidate with a fresh message, directed at all Americans, while her rollout video targets the middle class, particularly women.

Her new logo is much simpler and more "modern" than her 2008 design. To read my...

For over 4,000 students the Ithaca College campus is home, and for 2,000 more students who live off campus it is still a nearly full-time home. And because for nearly all students this is the first home they have had outside their family homes, and the first they themselves have chosen, it is a home that will always have a special place in their hearts.

Last week I had the opportunity to meet with firms seeking to become consultant to the college as we develop a new master plan that will guide campus development over the next twenty years. Listening to their presentations, I was struck by the number of aspects of physical space that enable a home to make its way into one’s heart.

Some elements of how the physical space pulls at the heartstrings are standard for everyone. There is the “picture postcard view” – the one you send to your aunts and uncles when you choose Ithaca College, and the one you will eventually pose in front of wearing your graduation robe. At IC we have a spectacular...

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For over 4,000 students the Ithaca College campus is home, and for 2,000 more students who live off campus it is still a nearly full-time home. And because for nearly all students this is the first home they have had outside their family homes, and the first they themselves have chosen, it is a home that will always have a special place in their hearts.

Last week I had the opportunity to meet with firms seeking to become consultant to the college as we develop a new master plan that will guide campus development over the next twenty years. Listening to their presentations, I was struck by the number of aspects of physical space that enable a home to make its way into one’s heart.

Some elements of how the physical space pulls at the heartstrings are standard for everyone. There is the “picture postcard view” – the one you send to your aunts and uncles when you choose Ithaca College, and the one you will eventually pose in front of wearing your graduation robe. At IC we have a spectacular...

Women voters have been targeted in British parliamentary elections since 1918, after women over the age of 30 were enfranchised, and, more actively, since 1929, after the voting age for women was lowered to 21 the previous year. In fact, the 1929 election is known as "The Flapper Election." In that year, a poster showed Labour leader James Ramsay MacDonald with a young woman dressed as a flapper. Another 1929 Labour Party poster illustrated both men and women workers lining up at a polling place, with a closed factory nearby.

Soon, however, most British posters showed women in more traditional roles. For example, a poster in the 1930s showed a woman holding a child, with the appeal “Mothers—Vote Labour” and a Conservative Party poster in that decade depicted an elderly woman, above the statement, “We must think of our savings and our home. That’s why I’m voting for the National Government” (in which the Conservatives would be dominant).

Women with their...

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Women voters have been targeted in British parliamentary elections since 1918, after women over the age of 30 were enfranchised, and, more actively, since 1929, after the voting age for women was lowered to 21 the previous year. In fact, the 1929 election is known as "The Flapper Election." In that year, a poster showed Labour leader James Ramsay MacDonald with a young woman dressed as a flapper. Another 1929 Labour Party poster illustrated both men and women workers lining up at a polling place, with a closed factory nearby.

Soon, however, most British posters showed women in more traditional roles. For example, a poster in the 1930s showed a woman holding a child, with the appeal “Mothers—Vote Labour” and a Conservative Party poster in that decade depicted an elderly woman, above the statement, “We must think of our savings and our home. That’s why I’m voting for the National Government” (in which the Conservatives would be dominant).

Japanese voters go to the polls on December 14 to elect members of the Lower House of Representatives.

Unique "luminous" posters are going up. They are printed with a technology that allows the poster's paint to "store light during the daytime and illuminates for a few hours after dark," according to The Japan Times. There are also posters that reflect automobile headlights.

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Japanese voters go to the polls on December 14 to elect members of the Lower House of Representatives.

Unique "luminous" posters are going up. They are printed with a technology that allows the poster's paint to "store light during the daytime and illuminates for a few hours after dark," according to The Japan Times. There are also posters that reflect automobile headlights.

Every year at this time I think of that line spoken by Gene Wilder as Dr. Frankenstein in the Mel Brooks movie Young Frankenstein. The Ithaca College campus, like the creature stitched together by Dr. Frankenstein, miraculously comes alive in the middle of August. The first twitches occur when the fall season athletes and the RAs arrive on campus, and then the whole body comes to life when students arrive with their families to take up residence on move-in day. Fortunately our annual experiment ends better than Dr. Frankenstein’s creation! The IC campus will soon be the place that each new and returning student calls home.

I can only imagine the anticipation each student is feeling as they pack their suitcases with their final items and spend the last nights of summer with high school friends, each of them contemplating what is to come in their next chapter. The question that looms over most students as they enter college is, “who am I going to meet and who will my friends be?”

Each entering class has special traits that increase our anticipation...

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It’s aliiiive!!

Every year at this time I think of that line spoken by Gene Wilder as Dr. Frankenstein in the Mel Brooks movie Young Frankenstein. The Ithaca College campus, like the creature stitched together by Dr. Frankenstein, miraculously comes alive in the middle of August. The first twitches occur when the fall season athletes and the RAs arrive on campus, and then the whole body comes to life when students arrive with their families to take up residence on move-in day. Fortunately our annual experiment ends better than Dr. Frankenstein’s creation! The IC campus will soon be the place that each new and returning student calls home.

I can only imagine the anticipation each student is feeling as they pack their suitcases with their final items and spend the last nights of summer with high school friends, each of them contemplating what is to come in their next chapter. The question that looms over most students as they enter college is, “who am I going to meet and who will my friends be?”

Each entering class has special traits that increase our anticipation...

]]>Thomas RochonMon, 18 Aug 2014 00:12:47 GMTCampaigns For and Against Independence for Scotlandhttp://www.ithaca.edu/rhp/programs/cmd/blogs/posters_and_election_propaganda/campaigns_for_and_against_independence_for_scotlan/http://www.ithaca.edu/rhp/programs/cmd/blogs/posters_and_election_propaganda/campaigns_for_and_against_independence_for_scotlan/

The referendum on whether or not Scotland will be an independent country will take place on September 18, 2014.

Heated campaigns have been going on for months, both for and against independence from the United Kingdom, with Web sites, videos, and posters produced.

The deluge of demands on higher education to prepare students for careers has left a wake of various responses - primarily changes in curriculum and more emphasis on testing and assessment of outcomes - to try to engineer skills that match current job requirements. But by focusing just on on content, they're missing the most important key to career success-- confidence. Unlike most other colleges, we intentionally engineer confidence here at the Park School.

We all know that skills and facts become obsolete and that knowledge alone doesn't land the job. On the other hand, there's a great deal of research that shows that confidence may be the most important ingredient in getting a job and rising up the corporate ladder. Perhaps nowhere is this statement better proven than in the studies that demonstrate why women don't get as far as similarly educated and competent men. For example, a recent article entitled

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The deluge of demands on higher education to prepare students for careers has left a wake of various responses - primarily changes in curriculum and more emphasis on testing and assessment of outcomes - to try to engineer skills that match current job requirements. But by focusing just on on content, they're missing the most important key to career success-- confidence. Unlike most other colleges, we intentionally engineer confidence here at the Park School.

We all know that skills and facts become obsolete and that knowledge alone doesn't land the job. On the other hand, there's a great deal of research that shows that confidence may be the most important ingredient in getting a job and rising up the corporate ladder. Perhaps nowhere is this statement better proven than in the studies that demonstrate why women don't get as far as similarly educated and competent men. For example, a recent article entitled

There are almost 100 Green political parties around the world. They have similar platforms, which frequently call for environmentalism, social justice, and non-nuclear energy.

The Greens have achieved some electoral successes in a number of countries, winning parliamentary seats in Australia, New Zealand, and several European nations. In the 2013 German elections, for example, the Greens received more than 8% of the vote, gaining 63 of the 631 seats in the Bundestag. In the United States, the Green Party's national ticket of Jill Stein and Cheri Honkala won less than 500,000 votes (about 0.5%) in 2012.

The logos of the Green parties are, of course, mainly green in color, and include a small number of symbols. The U.S. Green Party's logo has a globe inside a flower, as does that of England and many other green parties also incorporate a flower, including those in Portugal, Greece, and the Czech Republic. Other Green parties (in Latvia and Somalia, for instance) have a tree as the dominant...

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There are almost 100 Green political parties around the world. They have similar platforms, which frequently call for environmentalism, social justice, and non-nuclear energy.

The Greens have achieved some electoral successes in a number of countries, winning parliamentary seats in Australia, New Zealand, and several European nations. In the 2013 German elections, for example, the Greens received more than 8% of the vote, gaining 63 of the 631 seats in the Bundestag. In the United States, the Green Party's national ticket of Jill Stein and Cheri Honkala won less than 500,000 votes (about 0.5%) in 2012.

The logos of the Green parties are, of course, mainly green in color, and include a small number of symbols. The U.S. Green Party's logo has a globe inside a flower, as does that of England and many other green parties also incorporate a flower, including those in Portugal, Greece, and the Czech Republic. Other Green parties (in Latvia and Somalia, for instance) have a tree as the dominant...

Chile's presidential election takes place in about three weeks; U.S. voters go to the polls in about three years. One thing both countries have in common is that two women—both known by their first names (seen on their posters) are favored to become president, at present.

Former Chilean president Michelle Bachelet ("Michelle" on some posters) is a Socialist, who heads a seven-party coalition called "New Majority." She is the daughter of a general tortured and killed by the Pinochet dictatorship. Bachelet was the first woman to hold the office of president in Chile, when she won a runoff election in 2005. She could not run for reelection, since presidents cannot hold office for consecutive terms.

Chile's presidential election takes place in about three weeks; U.S. voters go to the polls in about three years. One thing both countries have in common is that two women—both known by their first names (seen on their posters) are favored to become president, at present.

Former Chilean president Michelle Bachelet ("Michelle" on some posters) is a Socialist, who heads a seven-party coalition called "New Majority." She is the daughter of a general tortured and killed by the Pinochet dictatorship. Bachelet was the first woman to hold the office of president in Chile, when she won a runoff election in 2005. She could not run for reelection, since presidents cannot hold office for consecutive terms.

The logos of today's political parties in many countries have become bland corporate identity pieces, similar to those of Sony, Panasonic, and RCA.

The German ones are particularly uninspired, with only one (Alliance 90/The Greens) adding a visual to the initials displayed.

In other countries, visuals accompany the names of the parties. For example, the British Labour Party includes a socialist rose; the U.S. Republican Party incorporates an elephant; and the Workers Party of Ireland shows a handshake.

Alliance 90/The Greens: a yellow sunflower on a green background, with the parties' names in white

The Left: black letters on a gray background, with a red triangle...

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The logos of today's political parties in many countries have become bland corporate identity pieces, similar to those of Sony, Panasonic, and RCA.

The German ones are particularly uninspired, with only one (Alliance 90/The Greens) adding a visual to the initials displayed.

In other countries, visuals accompany the names of the parties. For example, the British Labour Party includes a socialist rose; the U.S. Republican Party incorporates an elephant; and the Workers Party of Ireland shows a handshake.

Which are the two best posters from U.S. presidential election campaigns (excluding ones for the primaries)?

My criteria: artfulness, effective messaging, and overall design.

Here are my selections:

1. Unknown Artist, Poster of Republican William McKinley, holding a U.S. flag and standing on a gold coin (symbolizing "sound money"), held up by group of men, in front of ships (for "commerce") and factories (for "civilization"), ca. 1896-1900. This beautiful color lithograph targeted both businessmen and laborers, as well as associating the candidate with both symbols of patriotism and fiscal soundness. In the background, the Sun rises, with its rays enhancing the positiveness of the message.

2. Rafael López, "Estamos Unidos" ("We are United"), Poster for Artists for Obama, 2012. This gorgeous poster features a layered oil painting, with the candidate gazing thoughtfully into the distance and shown from below (a common pose, which...

]]>

Which are the two best posters from U.S. presidential election campaigns (excluding ones for the primaries)?

My criteria: artfulness, effective messaging, and overall design.

Here are my selections:

1. Unknown Artist, Poster of Republican William McKinley, holding a U.S. flag and standing on a gold coin (symbolizing "sound money"), held up by group of men, in front of ships (for "commerce") and factories (for "civilization"), ca. 1896-1900. This beautiful color lithograph targeted both businessmen and laborers, as well as associating the candidate with both symbols of patriotism and fiscal soundness. In the background, the Sun rises, with its rays enhancing the positiveness of the message.

2. Rafael López, "Estamos Unidos" ("We are United"), Poster for Artists for Obama, 2012. This gorgeous poster features a layered oil painting, with the candidate gazing thoughtfully into the distance and shown from below (a common pose, which...

Posters (actually broadsides, initially) have been displayed in Great Britain since the late 1600s. They became indispensable during election periods in Great Britain in the second half of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, when many more people were enfranchised, especially after the Labour Party was established in 1906.

The BBC has assembled a group of posters, shown to "illustrate David Lloyd George's political fame ad notoriety," put together on the 150th anniversary of George's birth. The posters range from 1910 to 1929—a period when posters were the paramount medium of political propaganda, and when they were often highly imaginative and printed in eye-catching colors from lithographic stones. Click here to see the posters.

George's Liberal Party regained power in 1906. The Liberals "rebranded" their party as one that was more in favor of social reform, and "New Liberals" such as George advocated for legislation to protect and help...

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Posters (actually broadsides, initially) have been displayed in Great Britain since the late 1600s. They became indispensable during election periods in Great Britain in the second half of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, when many more people were enfranchised, especially after the Labour Party was established in 1906.

The BBC has assembled a group of posters, shown to "illustrate David Lloyd George's political fame ad notoriety," put together on the 150th anniversary of George's birth. The posters range from 1910 to 1929—a period when posters were the paramount medium of political propaganda, and when they were often highly imaginative and printed in eye-catching colors from lithographic stones. Click here to see the posters.

George's Liberal Party regained power in 1906. The Liberals "rebranded" their party as one that was more in favor of social reform, and "New Liberals" such as George advocated for legislation to protect and help...

Over the last three weeks I have described some of the challenges related to cost and quality that we face at Ithaca College. I am certain we will be able to meet these challenges because our campus community has great clarity on what makes us special and on where we need to improve. We are also committed to being accessible to all students of talent, which means that we will find a way to bend the cost curve so that IC can be a leader in combining excellence with affordability.

I want in this final message of the semester to focus on the opportunity in front of us. Our greatest opportunity lies in our educational mission to become the standard of excellence for residential comprehensive colleges. We take justifiable pride in our commitment to offer a blend of liberal arts and professional education that creates a transformative experience for every student.

We should never forget the profound impact our educational community has on students. To take just one example, I have gotten to know a senior named Perri Rumstein. Perri almost didn’t come to...

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Over the last three weeks I have described some of the challenges related to cost and quality that we face at Ithaca College. I am certain we will be able to meet these challenges because our campus community has great clarity on what makes us special and on where we need to improve. We are also committed to being accessible to all students of talent, which means that we will find a way to bend the cost curve so that IC can be a leader in combining excellence with affordability.

I want in this final message of the semester to focus on the opportunity in front of us. Our greatest opportunity lies in our educational mission to become the standard of excellence for residential comprehensive colleges. We take justifiable pride in our commitment to offer a blend of liberal arts and professional education that creates a transformative experience for every student.

We should never forget the profound impact our educational community has on students. To take just one example, I have gotten to know a senior named Perri Rumstein. Perri almost didn’t come to...

]]>Thomas RochonMon, 10 Dec 2012 15:00:00 GMTThe Challenge Before Us, part 3 on Costhttp://www.ithaca.edu/president/blogs/presidents_reflections/the_challenge_before_us,_part_3_on_cost/http://www.ithaca.edu/president/blogs/presidents_reflections/the_challenge_before_us,_part_3_on_cost/Our focus at Ithaca College is on increasing our VALUE to students. Given IC’s standing as one of the best student-centered learning environments in the country but also as a relatively expensive higher education option, it is my opinion that we must be focused on both parts of the value equation at this time: increasing quality while also controlling cost.

Having discussed last week what constitutes quality and how we are seeking to go from good to great in quality at IC, I would like this week to focus on the matter of cost.

As Professor Elia Kacapyr pointed out in a comment posted on my blog two weeks ago, the cost of attendance at Ithaca College has increased at 3.58 times the rate of inflation since 1983. His calculation does not take into account financial aid that is provided through the college; when you consider such aid our final cost to students has risen at “only” a bit more than twice the rate of inflation. Cumulated over decades, though, that is still a big disparity! Even more relevant is the comparison of the...

]]>Our focus at Ithaca College is on increasing our VALUE to students. Given IC’s standing as one of the best student-centered learning environments in the country but also as a relatively expensive higher education option, it is my opinion that we must be focused on both parts of the value equation at this time: increasing quality while also controlling cost.

Having discussed last week what constitutes quality and how we are seeking to go from good to great in quality at IC, I would like this week to focus on the matter of cost.

As Professor Elia Kacapyr pointed out in a comment posted on my blog two weeks ago, the cost of attendance at Ithaca College has increased at 3.58 times the rate of inflation since 1983. His calculation does not take into account financial aid that is provided through the college; when you consider such aid our final cost to students has risen at “only” a bit more than twice the rate of inflation. Cumulated over decades, though, that is still a big disparity! Even more relevant is the comparison of the...

]]>Thomas RochonMon, 03 Dec 2012 13:30:00 GMTThe Challenge Before Us, part 2: Increasing Qualityhttp://www.ithaca.edu/president/blogs/presidents_reflections/the_challenge_before_us,_part_2:__increasing_quali/http://www.ithaca.edu/president/blogs/presidents_reflections/the_challenge_before_us,_part_2:__increasing_quali/Last week I summarized the challenge for Ithaca College to continue to attract high quality students who can benefit from the educational experience we offer. In brief, there are more options for higher education today than ever before and most of them cost less than IC. In addition, every year the cost of IC becomes unaffordable for a larger fraction of families. For us to succeed in that environment, we must focus on increasing our VALUE to students. Value = Quality / Cost, which means that to increase value we must increase quality while at the same time slowing the growth of our costs relative to competitors.

This week I want to focus on the QUALITY part of the Value equation; we will take a closer look at Cost next week.

Increasing quality is a more complex task than is decreasing cost. Everyone knows that less expensive is better than more expensive, but there are differences of opinion as to what quality means in a college education. Our understanding of quality at Ithaca College derives from our educational mission, which is to provide a foundation for life-long learning following three principles: “that knowledge is acquired through...

]]>Last week I summarized the challenge for Ithaca College to continue to attract high quality students who can benefit from the educational experience we offer. In brief, there are more options for higher education today than ever before and most of them cost less than IC. In addition, every year the cost of IC becomes unaffordable for a larger fraction of families. For us to succeed in that environment, we must focus on increasing our VALUE to students. Value = Quality / Cost, which means that to increase value we must increase quality while at the same time slowing the growth of our costs relative to competitors.

This week I want to focus on the QUALITY part of the Value equation; we will take a closer look at Cost next week.

Increasing quality is a more complex task than is decreasing cost. Everyone knows that less expensive is better than more expensive, but there are differences of opinion as to what quality means in a college education. Our understanding of quality at Ithaca College derives from our educational mission, which is to provide a foundation for life-long learning following three principles: “that knowledge is acquired through...

This is a time of rapid change at IC and in higher education generally. We have entered a period in which we are challenged to operate differently in order to continue to flourish. As a result, there is a great deal going on right now, including IC 20/20 implementation as well as the Effectiveness and Affordability Review that we are conducting with the assistance of Huron Education. The challenges are serious. If we respond to these challenges with vision and determination, however, we have an opportunity to create an Ithaca College that is not only financially sound but also better and more respected than ever.

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This is a time of rapid change at IC and in higher education generally. We have entered a period in which we are challenged to operate differently in order to continue to flourish. As a result, there is a great deal going on right now, including IC 20/20 implementation as well as the Effectiveness and Affordability Review that we are conducting with the assistance of Huron Education. The challenges are serious. If we respond to these challenges with vision and determination, however, we have an opportunity to create an Ithaca College that is not only financially sound but also better and more respected than ever.

There are lots of ways to earn a college degree these days - and the price tag varies more than ten-fold depending on the choice. Community colleges offer a great value for vocational and basic liberal arts classes-- and for most students, they can live at home which counts as additional savings. State universities, even with their government support dwindling, are still quite affordable. Proprietary schools offer laser-focused and fast-track training that can demonstrate concrete job skills and leads. And online options such as MOOCS can allow the motivated to be independent learners, exposed to some of the best minds in the world without paying a dime.

And then there are the expensive, elite private colleges like Ithaca College. The bill for four years of this experience is easily a quarter of a million dollars. The conventional wisdom regarding private schools is that it's where rich kids -- and the token few exceptionally bright scholarship recipients -- meet their mates and future business partners who come from...

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There are lots of ways to earn a college degree these days - and the price tag varies more than ten-fold depending on the choice. Community colleges offer a great value for vocational and basic liberal arts classes-- and for most students, they can live at home which counts as additional savings. State universities, even with their government support dwindling, are still quite affordable. Proprietary schools offer laser-focused and fast-track training that can demonstrate concrete job skills and leads. And online options such as MOOCS can allow the motivated to be independent learners, exposed to some of the best minds in the world without paying a dime.

And then there are the expensive, elite private colleges like Ithaca College. The bill for four years of this experience is easily a quarter of a million dollars. The conventional wisdom regarding private schools is that it's where rich kids -- and the token few exceptionally bright scholarship recipients -- meet their mates and future business partners who come from...

The Ithaca College Chemistry Department has more than five hundred graduates, some of whom are today among the most respected leaders in their field. Its faculty care so much about their students that years later they can recount stories about light-hearted moments or intellectual breakthroughs in the lab. The department’s alumni care so much about the faculty, in turn, that they travel to Ithaca years later to give testimony about their mentors.

This tradition of excellence in the Chemistry Department has developed over 50 years. It is marked by such signposts as the over 50,000 cumulative hours of student research undertaken in the lab, and the more than 200 students who have presented their research at regional, national and international conferences. That represents over 40% of all graduates of the department who have had the opportunity to undertake original research and present it at conferences; a rate that is even higher among recent graduates.

Mike Haaf, an associate professor in the department, was recently recognized by Princeton Review...

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The Ithaca College Chemistry Department has more than five hundred graduates, some of whom are today among the most respected leaders in their field. Its faculty care so much about their students that years later they can recount stories about light-hearted moments or intellectual breakthroughs in the lab. The department’s alumni care so much about the faculty, in turn, that they travel to Ithaca years later to give testimony about their mentors.

This tradition of excellence in the Chemistry Department has developed over 50 years. It is marked by such signposts as the over 50,000 cumulative hours of student research undertaken in the lab, and the more than 200 students who have presented their research at regional, national and international conferences. That represents over 40% of all graduates of the department who have had the opportunity to undertake original research and present it at conferences; a rate that is even higher among recent graduates.

Mike Haaf, an associate professor in the department, was recently recognized by Princeton Review...

]]>Thomas RochonMon, 20 Aug 2012 21:26:57 GMTBusting out of Class and into the IC Learning Communityhttp://www.ithaca.edu/president/blogs/presidents_reflections/busting_out_of_class_and_into_the_ic_learning_comm/http://www.ithaca.edu/president/blogs/presidents_reflections/busting_out_of_class_and_into_the_ic_learning_comm/

Well we busted out of class,

Had to get away from those fools.

We learned more from a three minute record, baby

Than we ever learned in school.

I believe, like many people, that Bruce Springsteen is the greatest lyricist of his generation. He can pour more truth into a three minute record than anyone else I know.

This particular verse, however, hurts my educator's heart. Can it be that we sometimes fail so badly to offer what students want and need that they are better served learning from song lyrics than from the teachers that Springsteen calls fools?

When I consider the situation more dispassionately, I realize I am being too sensitive. The classroom is a vital place of learning but it is not and can never be the venue for learning everything necessary to a happy and successful life. I remember listening intently to song lyrics as an...

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Well we busted out of class,

Had to get away from those fools.

We learned more from a three minute record, baby

Than we ever learned in school.

I believe, like many people, that Bruce Springsteen is the greatest lyricist of his generation. He can pour more truth into a three minute record than anyone else I know.

This particular verse, however, hurts my educator's heart. Can it be that we sometimes fail so badly to offer what students want and need that they are better served learning from song lyrics than from the teachers that Springsteen calls fools?

When I consider the situation more dispassionately, I realize I am being too sensitive. The classroom is a vital place of learning but it is not and can never be the venue for learning everything necessary to a happy and successful life. I remember listening intently to song lyrics as an...

What's the role of colleges in preparing students for jobs? The debate rages on among university leaders, politicians, and journalists. Articles like this one by our own alum Jeff Selingo (VP of the Chronicle of Higher Education) summarize the conversation around this topic that focuses on the relative merits of a general liberal arts education vs. specific technical job preparation and the return-on-investment of a college degree.

The Park School has been known for decades as a place that blends professional training with a broad liberal arts foundation -- and often minors in other subjects and langauges. Selingo's article helps us focus on thinking about the kinds of attributes and behaviors that mark successful employees as they continue their careers -- sometimes far beyond particular skills they learned which might be obsolete in a few years. Those include teamwork, critical thinking, reasoning,...

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What's the role of colleges in preparing students for jobs? The debate rages on among university leaders, politicians, and journalists. Articles like this one by our own alum Jeff Selingo (VP of the Chronicle of Higher Education) summarize the conversation around this topic that focuses on the relative merits of a general liberal arts education vs. specific technical job preparation and the return-on-investment of a college degree.

The Park School has been known for decades as a place that blends professional training with a broad liberal arts foundation -- and often minors in other subjects and langauges. Selingo's article helps us focus on thinking about the kinds of attributes and behaviors that mark successful employees as they continue their careers -- sometimes far beyond particular skills they learned which might be obsolete in a few years. Those include teamwork, critical thinking, reasoning,...

The 2011-2012 school year comes to an end this Sunday with a commencement at which approximately 1600 students will receive their degrees. Looking back over the nine months of this academic year, I am reminded that are six thousand stories in the IC student body. Here are four of them.

Freshman Noreyana Fernando won a 2012 South Asian Journalists Association Student scholarship that provides a summer internship in Washington, D.C. There are just five of these awards given each year, and the others went to students from Harvard, Brown, UCLA and the British Columbia Institute of Technology. How did Noreyana come to the attention of the award committee? During her freshman year Noreyana wrote for the Ithacan (recently named the best weekly college newspaper in the country), reported news on ICTV, and served as assistant news director at our radio station WICB. "Hands on from day 1" is part of our teaching philosophy, and Noreyana has taken full advantage of that approach. Others have noticed.

Sophomore...

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The 2011-2012 school year comes to an end this Sunday with a commencement at which approximately 1600 students will receive their degrees. Looking back over the nine months of this academic year, I am reminded that are six thousand stories in the IC student body. Here are four of them.

Freshman Noreyana Fernando won a 2012 South Asian Journalists Association Student scholarship that provides a summer internship in Washington, D.C. There are just five of these awards given each year, and the others went to students from Harvard, Brown, UCLA and the British Columbia Institute of Technology. How did Noreyana come to the attention of the award committee? During her freshman year Noreyana wrote for the Ithacan (recently named the best weekly college newspaper in the country), reported news on ICTV, and served as assistant news director at our radio station WICB. "Hands on from day 1" is part of our teaching philosophy, and Noreyana has taken full advantage of that approach. Others have noticed.

This tweet just appeared in my feed:With our high quality, self-paced degree programs you can get an accredited degree for around $6,000 #EndStudentDebt

Hmmmm...

What separates a "real" college from a fly-by-night diploma mill? One of the ways in which colleges and universities are vetted is by accreditation.... and many new for-profit online start-ups like the one in the Twitter ad blast flaunt their accreditation as a validation of their legitimacy. But accreditation comes in many flavors.

Like all respectable colleges and universities, Ithaca College, is accredited by the US Dept of Education approved agency for our region, Middle States. The Park School of Communications falls within that overall institutional accreditation and in fact, we're recognized as one of the top undergraduate communications schools in the nation.

That's the easy part. Here's where it gets hairy: Many individual schools...

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This tweet just appeared in my feed:With our high quality, self-paced degree programs you can get an accredited degree for around $6,000 #EndStudentDebt

Hmmmm...

What separates a "real" college from a fly-by-night diploma mill? One of the ways in which colleges and universities are vetted is by accreditation.... and many new for-profit online start-ups like the one in the Twitter ad blast flaunt their accreditation as a validation of their legitimacy. But accreditation comes in many flavors.

Like all respectable colleges and universities, Ithaca College, is accredited by the US Dept of Education approved agency for our region, Middle States. The Park School of Communications falls within that overall institutional accreditation and in fact, we're recognized as one of the top undergraduate communications schools in the nation.

That's the easy part. Here's where it gets hairy: Many individual schools...

The transition to college is one of life’s major events. Like the first day of kindergarten and the birth of one’s child, the first few weeks of college are one of those times people tend to remember for the rest of their lives. You encounter new expectations, new freedoms and new friends, all of which add up to a rare opportunity to reinvent yourself. You must also cope with nervousness that your self-reinvention in this new environment might not be successful. What if college is too hard? What if you don’t fit in?

Now imagine that your first week of college takes place in a foreign country. Not only are you not being served your mother’s cooking, but it is not even your native cuisine. Not only do you have to make new friends, but you must do so in a culture and a language that are not your own. You have an opportunity to reinvent yourself, but to many people your primary identity will remain “that student from another country.”

It was with those thoughts that I had lunch...

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The transition to college is one of life’s major events. Like the first day of kindergarten and the birth of one’s child, the first few weeks of college are one of those times people tend to remember for the rest of their lives. You encounter new expectations, new freedoms and new friends, all of which add up to a rare opportunity to reinvent yourself. You must also cope with nervousness that your self-reinvention in this new environment might not be successful. What if college is too hard? What if you don’t fit in?

Now imagine that your first week of college takes place in a foreign country. Not only are you not being served your mother’s cooking, but it is not even your native cuisine. Not only do you have to make new friends, but you must do so in a culture and a language that are not your own. You have an opportunity to reinvent yourself, but to many people your primary identity will remain “that student from another country.”

It's that wonderful time of the year when high school students applying to Ithaca College are getting their acceptance letters. I hear from a lot of them - through ICPeers (our online social network for prospective students), through my Facebook page, and emails - and it's wonderful to share in their thrill.

Then comes the big question for many of them: deciding among many good college offers. On the sidelines are their families who will be trying to support them both emotionally and financially through the next four years -- and each day being bombarded with questions about the value and purpose of a college education. President Obama, in his recent State of the Union address, put colleges "on notice" regarding rising tuition costs. And today, a guy who dropped out of Harvard launched the Facebook IPO and instantly became a billionaire. Should you pick the college that gives you the best financial package? One that guarantees you a job right after graduation? Or should you take that college savings account and open up a...

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It's that wonderful time of the year when high school students applying to Ithaca College are getting their acceptance letters. I hear from a lot of them - through ICPeers (our online social network for prospective students), through my Facebook page, and emails - and it's wonderful to share in their thrill.

Then comes the big question for many of them: deciding among many good college offers. On the sidelines are their families who will be trying to support them both emotionally and financially through the next four years -- and each day being bombarded with questions about the value and purpose of a college education. President Obama, in his recent State of the Union address, put colleges "on notice" regarding rising tuition costs. And today, a guy who dropped out of Harvard launched the Facebook IPO and instantly became a billionaire. Should you pick the college that gives you the best financial package? One that guarantees you a job right after graduation? Or should you take that college savings account and open up a...

I had the pleasure last week of hosting our Park Distinguished Speaker, Randi Zuckerberg, who for 6 years led marketing and PR for Facebook. Emerson Suites was packed with students who had provocative questions about the future of social media -- not just as a tool for PR and media distribution, but also as an agent in our personal lives.

In my introduction to Zuckerberg's speech, I said that it was great to see so many people "in the flesh", since most of the audience spends a significant amount of time interacting with friends and co-workers online. Can we even remember life before Facebook -- or heaven forbid, WITHOUT Facebook??!!

Shaping our personal and professional identities is an endeavor worth serious consideration. We know that most prospective employers (and even internship sites) do online searches of candidates before offering them positions, or even a first interview. Staying off the grid of social media isn't really an option, either. As...

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I had the pleasure last week of hosting our Park Distinguished Speaker, Randi Zuckerberg, who for 6 years led marketing and PR for Facebook. Emerson Suites was packed with students who had provocative questions about the future of social media -- not just as a tool for PR and media distribution, but also as an agent in our personal lives.

In my introduction to Zuckerberg's speech, I said that it was great to see so many people "in the flesh", since most of the audience spends a significant amount of time interacting with friends and co-workers online. Can we even remember life before Facebook -- or heaven forbid, WITHOUT Facebook??!!

Shaping our personal and professional identities is an endeavor worth serious consideration. We know that most prospective employers (and even internship sites) do online searches of candidates before offering them positions, or even a first interview. Staying off the grid of social media isn't really an option, either. As...

The Park School of Communications radiates creativity, enthusiasm, energy, a sense of social responsibility, and a passion for innovation. It's not by chance. Those qualities were among the many important character traits of the founding dean, John Keshishoglou. Dr. Kesh, as most of us called him, passed away on August 24 after a courageous battle with pancreatic cancer.

Dr. Kesh took a few boxes full of equipment and a fledgling TV-radio curriculum and transformed it into the School of Communications in the mid-70s; he also established the Instructional Resource Center at the college. An accomplished producer himself, he taught film and photography and produced instructional and documentary films around the world, including one about the monks at Mount Athos in his native Greece. Kesh built up the faculty and the curriculum and was instrumental in bringing Rod Serling to campus as a regular visiting instructor. And I'm not sure how he made time to do this, but he completed dozens of multi-week consulting and teaching...

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The Park School of Communications radiates creativity, enthusiasm, energy, a sense of social responsibility, and a passion for innovation. It's not by chance. Those qualities were among the many important character traits of the founding dean, John Keshishoglou. Dr. Kesh, as most of us called him, passed away on August 24 after a courageous battle with pancreatic cancer.

Dr. Kesh took a few boxes full of equipment and a fledgling TV-radio curriculum and transformed it into the School of Communications in the mid-70s; he also established the Instructional Resource Center at the college. An accomplished producer himself, he taught film and photography and produced instructional and documentary films around the world, including one about the monks at Mount Athos in his native Greece. Kesh built up the faculty and the curriculum and was instrumental in bringing Rod Serling to campus as a regular visiting instructor. And I'm not sure how he made time to do this, but he completed dozens of multi-week consulting and teaching...

]]>Diane GayeskiWed, 15 Jun 2011 19:18:41 GMTDon't get a job-- get a lifehttp://www.ithaca.edu/rhp/blogs/dean_gayeskis_blog/dont_get_a_job--_get_a_life/http://www.ithaca.edu/rhp/blogs/dean_gayeskis_blog/dont_get_a_job--_get_a_life/

It's that time of year when we clean up our offices after graduation and prepare to welcome a new crop of first-year students.

... when I get enthusiastic emails from new grads who just landed jobs

... when I follow tweets from alums getting frustrated by endless applications and interviews, still waiting for their big breaks

... when I get visits from former students bringing THEIR kids to campus, exploring the whole college scene for the first time

... when I get postcards and Facebook updates from former students from all corners of the globe -- enjoying a vacation or off to a new professional challenge or grad school in some exotic spot

And I start thinking about what I'll say to the parents and students arriving on campus over the next few weeks for orientation.

As you might imagine, many of the questions I get are about the kinds of jobs that Park students can expect to get after they graduate: Where are they? How much do they pay? And how quickly do our grads get hired? We have a lot of success stories to...

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It's that time of year when we clean up our offices after graduation and prepare to welcome a new crop of first-year students.

... when I get enthusiastic emails from new grads who just landed jobs

... when I follow tweets from alums getting frustrated by endless applications and interviews, still waiting for their big breaks

... when I get visits from former students bringing THEIR kids to campus, exploring the whole college scene for the first time

... when I get postcards and Facebook updates from former students from all corners of the globe -- enjoying a vacation or off to a new professional challenge or grad school in some exotic spot

And I start thinking about what I'll say to the parents and students arriving on campus over the next few weeks for orientation.

As you might imagine, many of the questions I get are about the kinds of jobs that Park students can expect to get after they graduate: Where are they? How much do they pay? And how quickly do our grads get hired? We have a lot of success stories to...

]]>Diane GayeskiThu, 24 Feb 2011 13:53:12 GMTWhen the audience becomes the producerhttp://www.ithaca.edu/rhp/blogs/dean_gayeskis_blog/when_the_audience_becomes_the_producer/http://www.ithaca.edu/rhp/blogs/dean_gayeskis_blog/when_the_audience_becomes_the_producer/It was 1979, and a 25 year old brand-new professor of communications at Ithaca College was looking for some interesting new content for her corporate and instructional video class. Reading through a copy of Educational and Instructional TV, she happened to see a tiny ad on the back page for something called "interactive video" which was purported to be the marriage of television with computer-assisted instruction. And the company was in Rochester. Hmmm... sounds like this company might be a good source for a guest speaker! So she wrote to them -- on a typewriter -- (there was no email in those days) and they responded and invited her to see a demo.

Well, that young prof was me, and little did I know that seeing this company's groundbreaking interactive program on job interviewing created for deaf students would quite literally change my life. Seeing the possibilities of this new medium, I boldly launched a conference here in Ithaca to gather the folks who were experimenting with interactive video. It was the first university

]]>It was 1979, and a 25 year old brand-new professor of communications at Ithaca College was looking for some interesting new content for her corporate and instructional video class. Reading through a copy of Educational and Instructional TV, she happened to see a tiny ad on the back page for something called "interactive video" which was purported to be the marriage of television with computer-assisted instruction. And the company was in Rochester. Hmmm... sounds like this company might be a good source for a guest speaker! So she wrote to them -- on a typewriter -- (there was no email in those days) and they responded and invited her to see a demo.

Well, that young prof was me, and little did I know that seeing this company's groundbreaking interactive program on job interviewing created for deaf students would quite literally change my life. Seeing the possibilities of this new medium, I boldly launched a conference here in Ithaca to gather the folks who were experimenting with interactive video. It was the first university